By Michael Anthony

Well, we survived, 2020 was a bitch, there is no getting around it. For those of you that are wedding photographers, especially in the coastal states, you no doubt experienced a business disruption unlike anything that you had ever seen before. 

But like I have been saying since the beginning of the pandemic....there is not just light at the end of the tunnel.....there is a supernova of shining opportunity. The pandemic cleared the way for the businesses that were able to adapt and hang on, however all of the clients that have been waiting for it to end have been quietly fighting for dates in the latter half of 2021. 

So the opportunity is there for those of you that are willing to wait for it. But as with any other year, if we want to succeed we have to have a plan. So today I am going to help you write your 2021 business plan if you haven’t had a chance to do it. 

I am a creative, why should I write a plan?

Simple.....just as the old adage...

by Jennifer Loizzi

As a boudoir photographer I have the opportunity of photographing women with a variety of different body types, ethnicities, and backgrounds.  No matter how different each boudoir client is, these women do share something in common.  Each one of them wants to feel and look their absolute best during their boudoir photoshoot.  It is our job to make sure that they not only feel comfortable, but beautiful as well.  We have to learn how to work with all types of varying personalities and know the proper questions to ask and words to say to make them feel beautiful and have an enjoyable experience. Not only is it our job to create beautiful imagery for our clients, but we also have to provide them with an incredible experience.  Boudoir photography can be an intimidating experience to most women and it is up to us to help inspire some confidence. 

How do you inspire confidence? I have laid out 5 easy ways for you to instill some confidence...

by Demothy Tien

Link to R5 review video: https://youtu.be/k61jtVUD6kk

Canon’s release of two mirrorless cameras in the form of the EOS R5 and EOS R6 left many wondering which to get. Both cameras are quite similar in look, and a solid upgrade to the popular EOS R, however, in terms of functionality, they are quite different. One serves as a professional powerhouse, while the other is a fantastic choice for the average photographer.

Let’s take a look at the bodies

For the most part, the EOS R5 and EOS R6 share a very similar body. Ergonomics are pretty much the same between the two, however, the biggest difference is the lack of a top dial on the R5. The R5 exchanges the more traditional dial in favor of an LCD display. 

Moving onto the back of the camera, both are essentially identical. The only real difference between the two is a slightly larger LCD display on the R5. Overall, the bodies of the EOS R5 and R6 are extremely close, with the only noticeable...

Every week we cover popular topics submitted by our users, this week we were talking all about business.

In this video, Michael answers questions about pricing, branding, marketing, and more. 

Watch the full video and submit your photography questions to [email protected] to be featured on future weekly roundups.

Adobe Lightroom has been the source of frustration for many professional photographers over the years.  It’s the not program in general that bothers photographers, but more Adobe’s unwillingness to fully optimize the software to take advantage of the powerful hardware available these days for those that wish to invest in it.  Over the last two years, Adobe has listened to photographer’s calls to update their software and has begun to take steps to remedy the issues by introducing new performance-related features.

Even though they have begun development on some key improvements, sometimes it seems like Adobe is not putting much effort into them, especially considering the fact that they definitely have the resources to do so with their stock at near-record highs and an upward trajectory over the last 5 years.

For instance, a couple of years ago they introduced GPU accelerating image processing to Lightroom.  This dramatically sped up the processing...

In this video, I go over my picks for the best lenses for wedding photographers. I also touch base on what order that I think you should buy them in.

Wedding photography has a variety of different needs, and in order to prioritize them, I think there is an order in which you should purchase.

Click the video above to see my recommended list for the best lenses for wedding photographers.

You can purchase the gear in the video above here

In this video, I answer some questions about the Canon RF 28-70mm F2.  Is this the best lens that Canon has ever made for wedding photographers?

In my opinion, this is one of the most unique and well-rounded lenses for wedding photographers, but there may be a couple of people that this lens isn't for. 

In this episode, Michael and Jen critique our user-submitted photos.  Critiques are a great way to grow as a photographer and can help us all elevate our craft.  Submit your photos for our next episode by clicking here.

Most photographers reading this have been photographers for less than ten years.  That means that very few have operated their business through a recession.  Recessions bring different economic rules and typically impact businesses the most during the first few months. 

Now I want to make sure that everybody understands that I am not predicting a slowdown due to the Coronavirus; however, there is certainly the possibility that it will happen.

If you look at the stock market for the last three years, you have seen all-time highs, historic quarterly gains, and an economic boom that we have never seen in our lifetimes.  The problem is that an economy like that will always have highs and lows, and at some point, if not in the immediate future, we will have a low.  I will say that the potential for the Coronavirus to create a recession is exceptionally high, so if you are a photographer and a business owner, then it's time to at least give it some thought.

There...

The Magsphere is an incredible tool that can lead to some pretty amazing images.  The truth is that this tool is often used incorrectly.  There is a misperception that the Magsphere will actually soften the light you are using on your subjects, and that is actually incorrect.

The Magsphere works in two distinct ways. First, it allows light to be spread out in a 360° angle. This is incredibly useful in a variety of situations. For instance, you would want to use it to make the light spread out to light up a room and increase the ambient light to flash ratio. Another way you could potentially use it would be to backlight rain or smoke as you can see in the video above.

The second way that the mag spear works is that it diffuses light coming from a speed light that uses a Fresnel lens. The light that comes from a Fresnel lens is typically specular in nature which means that it reflects highlights back from the subject into the camera. This can create unflattering...